FAQ

1Which are Costa Rica's natural boundaries?

Costa Rica's boundaries are natural, conventional and mixed. On the east and northeast it is limited by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west and south by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast, it borders the country of Panama.

2Which international airports are in Costa Rica?

If your incentive program starts or ends in San José, is going to the Central Pacific coast, or is making a round trip of the country, you should choose San Jose Airport, also called Juan Santamaría Airport (SJO), located in the capital city, San José.
If your program is going to take place in Guanacaste on the North Pacific coast, you should choose Liberia Airport, located in the city of Liberia.
For programs combining different areas of the country and ending on the North Pacific coast, you may also check with your airline the possibility to use San Jose Airport for your arrival flight and Liberia Airport for your departure flight.

3Is a visa required to enter the country?

Citizens from Canada, the United States, Panama, and from most European countries, do not need a visa to enter Costa Rica.
Nevertheless, certain nationalities do, so please check your country clicking here.

4Do guests need a passport to travel to Costa Rica?

Yes, every visitor to Costa Rica must have a passport that is valid during the travel dates.

5What is the currency in Costa Rica?

The currency of Costa Rica is the “Colón” (After Christopher Columbus) and you can check the current exchange rate.

6Can our winners enter Costa Rica with a one-way ticket?

No, all visitors must have a round trip ticket to be allowed into the country.

7Are credit cards accepted in Costa Rica?

All the main credit cards are widely accepted. There are ATMs all around the country and in the major hotels and resort.

8Are meetings held in Costa Rica tax deductible?

Depending on the country this may change. Please ask our executives about your country.
Regarding the United States government, it has designated Costa Rica as a beneficiary country. In consequence, several business-related travel expenses can be deducted. If your program includes meetings, we recommend you check the IRS regulations in this regard to maximize the trip’s tax deductibility.

9Can our company ship materials, equipment, and gifts for the program in Costa Rica?

In Costa Rica, all merchandise arrives at Customs Clearance, and it is subject to high taxes.
If there is a choice, we recommend you avoid shipments for you not to worry about getting the items on time or about going through the hassle of customs clearance.
Instead, we offer you a selection of specialized stores that carry a variety of products, from office supplies to promotional items, graphic materials, and all kinds of gifts and teasers.
However, if your company is shipping items, we suggest you do it at least four weeks in advance and check with the shipping company all taxes that could apply.
We recommend avoiding perishables or high-value items, specifically chocolates, beverages, food, chemical products, jewelry, and cosmetics. It is advisable that you hire door-to-door or DDP (Delivery Duty Paid) service, where the sender assumes full payment of freight, taxes, and customs clearance.

10Do our guests need an international driver’s license to drive in Costa Rica?

Visitors can drive with their country’s driver’s license for three months.

11Is the water potable in Costa Rica?

Tap water is completely safe to drink in Costa Rica, but you can get bottled water around the country.

12What inoculations do our guests have to get to travel to Costa Rica?

Depending on the country of origin or the last country visited before coming to Costa Rica, some visitors are required to get the Yellow Fever vaccine, but in general, no vaccines are required to enter Costa Rica.
Exceptions:

Any individual traveling to Costa Rica that has been in transit through: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Bolivia, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and French Guyana, whether in airports, sea ports or land borders, will be exempt from the requirement of vaccination against yellow fever.

People who have been in countries considered at risk, but who have remained at least six days in a non-risk country before entering Costa Rican territory and who have not developed yellow fever.

People with contraindications for the vaccination against yellow fever who carry a valid medical opinion supported by the health authority in the country from where they are from.

Children under nine months old, people with severe allergy to eggs, immunosuppression and thymic disease present or in their medical history.

There must be a medical assessment of the pros and cons of vaccination on people with the following conditions: over 60 years of age, pregnancy, lactation, family history of adverse events associated with vaccination against yellow fever, hypersensitivity to gelatin and asymptomatic HIV infection, with laboratory verification of adequate immune system function.

13What is the weather like in Costa Rica?

Costa Rica offers its visitors moderate conditions all year round.
The average temperature in the highlands is 70Fº (21Cº), and in the lowlands, it varies between the high 70’sFº and low 90’s Fº (21Cº to 32Cº).
There are two main seasons, the green (rainy) season and the dry season.
The green season lasts from May up until November and the dry season starts around December and goes until April.
However, even during the green season, the mornings are bright and sunny with lovely rainy afternoons.

14What is the tax in Costa Rica?

By law, every hotel must add a 13% sales tax to all room charges. In restaurants, visitors will see a 10% gratuity and a 13% sales tax added to the check. However, if your guests receive exceptional service, we encourage them to tip more. Airport tax, payable at the airport upon departure, is US$26 per person. PREMIO DMC will be happy to purchase your guests’ departure tax forms provided we receive the passport information of all the participants in advance.

15What are the holidays in Costa Rica?

Costa Rica’s national holidays are:

January 1st (New Year)

April 11th (National hero Juan Santamaría)

Easter Thursday and Good Friday

May 1st (Labor day)

July 25th (Annexation of Guanacaste province)

August 15th (Mother’s day)

September 15th (Independence day)

October 12th (Race day)

December 25th (Christmas day)

16Are there domestic airlines that travel within the country?

The local carrier is Sansa. It serve daily flights between the major cities and locations within Costa Rica.

17What should I bring when going to the rain forest?

All you need is insect repellent, a rain coat with a hood, hiking boots or close toe shoes.

18What is the voltage in Costa Rica?

Costa Rica’s electricity supply is 120 Volt AC at 60 Hertz, with standard US two prong plugs. They will need to voltage converter to use 240/250-Volt AC-powered items.

19Are the national parks wheel chair accessible?

The Poas Volcano, Carara Biological Reserve, and Santa Rosa National Park are the only ones that offer access for wheelchairs.
There is a Project to create Universal Access in the following National Parks:
Irazu Volcano, Manuel Antonio, and Guayabo National Monument

20Can I use my cell phone in Costa Rica?

There are two options; To bring an UNLOCKED cell phone, and buy a SIM prepaid card at the ICE (the national telecommunications company) booth in the baggage section of the airport (or in a telephone company office in any city around the country).

The second option is to ask your local phone carrier if they have a roaming agreement with any of the Costa Rican mobile providers, Kölbi by the Costa Rica Comunications Institute (ICE), Claro or Movistar.